"Whys And Hows" (by Joe DiMino)
I seldom take Why and How seriously anymore;
As Shakespeare said, it is all theater
(Light-theater, except for the wars--natural and manmade,
local and international);
The Why, on a well-lit marquee for alliteration,
Is a simple V, with a backslash-tail going off to the left
Where most of the manikins sit
Right from the stage--
If you still need them,
All Hows can be found in books by the dozens
(no reason for committing them to memory);
And when not found
Then they are really Ys--
The Hs and Os and Ws (Shows)
When solved from the jumble,
Leftover S, a laughing snake--
The house-lights
Turned up full
Each of the players set upon a mark;
Some in costume with masks,
And some in birthday of their own--
Awaiting boos
Or applauds--
The curtain again rises
But all we hear is silence,
The audience still--
In wax of make-believe awe....